Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 2

January 9, 2018

Commentary

A lot of racing in the books over the past couple of weeks! While the Mesabi East Invite drew another huge field, many of the top Minnesota high school skiers were up in Alaska, competing in US Nationals. Others yet were competing in top biathlon competition in late December.

There is still a lot of shuffling and bumping in the rankings, especially after the top five or so. Wayzata boys continue to show they are the team to beat (or more likely, settle for second place behind), with the trio of Luc Golin, Anders Sonnesyn and James Schneider not giving any ground up. Alex Nemeth is the only one to really challenge that crew so far, but Peter Moore and Garrett Beckrich may be able to make a claim for a position in the top 3-4. Beckrich had a stellar US Biathlon Trials in Coleraine and has a full docket of races overseas ahead, possibly causing him to miss the State Meet. The Mounds Park Academy boys jump into the rankings with some strong results at Mesabi as the team steps up this season.

Kelly Koch, US Nationals, January 7, 2018

Mara McCollor remains our top pick, skiing well at US Nationals, though Kelly Koch used some of her fast twitch skills to earn a coveted spot on the Junior Nordic Competition team (U18) that will be competing in Finland later month. Hannah Bettendorf shined at Mesabi, winning the skate race by a solid margin, but has been challenged by some of her section 7 competitors this season. As usual, Duluth East girls keep the powerhouse going, turning out some new stars this season -- expect them to only improve at we head toward sections.